Message From the Country

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Message from the Country
Studio album by The Move
Released	1971 2005 Remastered
Genre	Rock
Length	38:28
Label	Harvest Capitol
Producer(s)	Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
The Move chronology
Looking On (1970)	Message From The Country (1971)	See "Electric Light Orchestra (album)" (1971)

Message From The Country is the fourth and last album by The Move.

Recorded in 1970-71 at about the same time the group were also laying down tracks for the first Electric Light Orchestra album, there are inevitably some similarities in style. Nevertheless Wood and Lynne were determined to keep some distance between the sound of both groups, confining saxes to ‘Message’ and cellos to the ELO debut. All the same, there are evident similarities between these songs and what was to follow. The title track has a certain amount in common with ELO’s "10538 Overture", while ‘Until Your Mama’s Gone’ is clearly the godfather of ‘Ball Park Incident’, Wood’s first single with Wizzard, the group he formed after leaving ELO in 1972. 'Don't Mess Me Up' is an affectionate tribute to the 1950s rock'n'roll and doo-wop sound, in particular that of Elvis Presley and the Jordanaires, and The Minister' has sometimes been likened, very favourably, to the Beatles' 'Paperback Writer'.

‘Ella James’ was released briefly as a single in 1971, and then withdrawn when EMI Records and the group felt that ‘Tonight’ (not originally on ‘Message’) would be a more commercial choice. ‘Ella James’ was later covered by the Nashville Teens.

The group were also responsible for the cover, as the painting was done by Roy Wood, based on an idea by Jeff Lynne.

The initial 1971 album on the Harvest label contained tracks 1-10 below, as did a later reissue on CD on Beat Goes On Records, long since deleted. are alternative takes and A- or B- sides of singles as per the 2005 reissued on CD on Harvest and 2006 on Capitol.

[edit] Track listing

1. "Message From The Country" (Jeff Lynne) – 4:45)
2. "Ella James" (Roy Wood) – 3:11)
3. "No Time" (Lynne) – 3:38)
4. "Don’t Mess Me Up (Bev Bevan) – 3:07)
5. "Until Your Moma’s Gone" (Wood) – 5:03)
6. "It Wasn’t My Idea to Dance" (Wood) – 5:28)
7. "The Minister" (Lynne) – 4:27)
8. "Ben Crawley’s Steel Company" (Wood) – 3:02)
9. "The Words of Aaron" (Lynne) – 5:25)
10. "My Marge (Lynne-Wood) – 1:59)

[edit] Bonus Tracks (2005 reissue)

1. " Tonight" (Wood) – 3:15
2. "Chinatown" (Wood) – 3:06
3. "Down on the Bay" (Lynne) – 4:14
4. "Do Ya" (Lynne) – 4:03
5. "California Man" (Wood) – 3:35
6. "Don't Mess Me Up" (Alternate session version) (Wood) – 3:18
7. "The Words of Aaron" (Alternate session version) (Lynne) – 6:03
8. "Do Ya" (Alternate session version) (Lynne) – 7:00 (includes "hidden track" of "My Marge" (Alternate session version) (Lynne-Wood))

[edit] Personnel

• Roy Wood – vocals, guitars, steel guitar, recorders, bass, clarinet, bassoon, tenor and baritone saxes;
• Jeff Lynne – vocals, guitar, piano, percussion;
• Bev Bevan – drums, vocals.
• Rick Price - bass (bonus material)